Cardiovascular Diseases and Therapeutics

Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Heart failure, sometimes recognized as congestive heart failure, occurs when the heart muscle does not pump blood as efficiently as it can. Certain heart conditions, such as narrowed arteries in the heart (coronary artery disease) or high blood pressure, gradually leave the heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump blood properly. Not all conditions that lead to heart failure can be reversed, but treatments can advance the signs and symptoms of heart failure and allow people to live longer.

Cardiomyopathy is a group of diseases that damage the heart muscle. Primary there may be few or no symptoms. As the disease worsens, shortness of breath, feeling tired and swelling in the legs may occur, due to the onset of heart failure. Irregular heartbeat and fainting may occur. There is an increased risk of sudden cardiac death in affected individuals. Types of cardiomyopathy include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (broken heart syndrome). In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle enlarges and thickens. In dilated cardiomyopathy, the ventricles expand and weaken. In restrictive cardiomyopathy, the ventricle stiffens.